Bess and Phyllis Lindstrom Mary Tyler Moore Show 1974

Lisa Gerritsen (born Lisa Orszag, December 21, 1957) is an American former child actress. She is most famous for her role as Bess, the independent-minded daughter of

Phyllis Lindstrom Phyllis Lindstrom, née Sutherland, portrayed by Cloris Leachman, is a fictional character on the television sitcom ''The Mary Tyler Moore Show'' and subsequent spin-off '' Phyllis''. ''The Mary Tyler Moore Show'' Phyllis Lindstrom (born in 19 ...

on the 1970s television series ''

The Mary Tyler Moore Show ''The Mary Tyler Moore Show'' (also known simply as ''Mary Tyler Moore'') is an American television sitcom created by James L. Brooks and Allan Burns and starring actress Mary Tyler Moore. The show originally aired on CBS from 1970 to 1977. ...

'' and its spin-off '' Phyllis.''

Early life

Lisa Gerritsen was born Lisa Orszag in Los Angeles and is the granddaughter of child actor and screenwriter True Eames Boardman, and the great-granddaughter of

silent film A silent film is a film with no synchronized Sound recording and reproduction, recorded sound (or more generally, no audible dialogue). Though silent films convey narrative and emotion visually, various plot elements (such as a setting or era) ...

actors True Boardman and Virginia True Boardman. Her acting career began when she was eight years old. Encouraged by her mother and grandfather, she landed her first professional role in an episode of ''

The Doris Day Show ''The Doris Day Show'' is an American sitcom which was originally broadcast on CBS from September 1968 until March 1973, remaining on the air for five seasons and 128 episodes. The series is remembered for its multiple format and cast chan ...

'' in 1968.

Career

After ''The Doris Day Show'', Gerritsen had guest-star or cameo appearances in several television shows including '' The Odd Couple,'' ''

Bonanza ''Bonanza'' is an American Western television series that ran on NBC from September 13, 1959, to January 16, 1973. Lasting 14 seasons and 432 episodes, ''Bonanza'' is NBC's longest-running western, the second-longest-running western series on ...

'', '' The Courtship of Eddie's Father'', '' The Virginian'' and ''

Family Affair ''Family Affair'' is an American sitcom starring Brian Keith and Sebastian Cabot that aired on CBS from September 12, 1966, to March 4, 1971. The series explored the trials of well-to-do engineer and bachelor Bill Davis (Keith) as he attempt ...

''. She was also cast in several episodes of ''

Gunsmoke ''Gunsmoke'' is an American radio and television Western drama series created by director Norman Macdonnell and writer John Meston. It centers on Dodge City, Kansas, in the 1870s, during the settlement of the American West. The central chara ...

'', one of which helped her to land a regular role in the 1969 NBC comedy series '' My World and Welcome to It'', which starred

William Windom William Windom (May 10, 1827January 29, 1891) was an American politician from Minnesota. He served as U.S. Representative from 1859 to 1869, and as U.S. Senator from 1870 to January 1871, from March 1871 to March 1881, and from November 1881 ...

and

Joan Hotchkis Joan Hotchkis (September 21, 1927 – September 27, 2022) was an American stage, screen and television actress, writer and performance artist. A lifetime member of the Actors Studio and the Dramatists Guild, Hotchkis was best known for playing ...

. The show was based on the cartoons and comedy of author

James Thurber James Grover Thurber (December 8, 1894 – November 2, 1961) was an American cartoonist, writer, humorist, journalist and playwright. He was best known for his cartoons and short stories, published mainly in ''The New Yorker'' and collected i ...

. Gerritsen's role in the main cast of ''My World and Welcome to It'', is one of the high points in her career. The show won several awards including Emmys, although it was cancelled after only one season. Combining animation with live-action sitcom storylines involving cartoonist John Monroe, his wife, daughter and pets, the show's format was unusual for TV. The blend of family strife and social satire included an unconventional relationship between Monroe as father and Gerritsen as genius daughter. In 1970 Gerritsen (using credit Lisa True Gerritsen) appeared as Hannah Carson on the TV western "The Men From Shiloh" (rebranded name for ''The Virginian'') in the episode titled "Hannah". On the December 28, 1970, ''Gunsmoke'' episode entitled "Jenny," Gerritsen played a 10-year-old who leaves St. Louis after the death of her mother to find her outlaw father, Lucas Pritchard, portrayed by

Steve Ihnat Stefan Ihnat (August 7, 1934 – May 12, 1972) was a Slovak-born American actor and director. He emigrated to Canada when he was five years old, and later became a United States citizen. Early life Ihnat was born to Andrew and Mary Ihnat i ...

. In 1970, she was cast as Bess Lindstrom, daughter of landlord Phyllis Lindstrom (

Cloris Leachman Cloris Leachman (April 30, 1926 – January 27, 2021) was an American actress and comedian whose career spanned nearly eight decades. She won List of awards and nominations received by Cloris Leachman, many accolades, including eight Primetime ...

) in ''

'', for which she received critical acclaim. Bess was a precocious child whose mother believed in progressive parenting—Bess always called Phyllis by her first name, read Phyllis's books on child rearing, and was educated on sexuality. As Phyllis's daughter, Gerritsen established her importance to ''

'' in its very first episode. In the premiere episode, test audiences didn't like Rhoda, played by Valerie Harper. Harper eventually became one of the most popular stars on TV, but her initial change from antagonist of Mary (which the audience disliked, since Mary Tyler Moore was universally loved by viewers) occurred because of Gerritsen's Bess. Because Bessto the eternal consternation of Phyllislikes Rhoda and thinks she's funny, the audience changed their opinion of her too, and by the second episode she was Mary's best friend. Gerritsen returned in the role in the spin-off series '' Phyllis'' (1975–1977). In addition to her television roles, she also was cast in several movies. She made her first big-screen appearance in ''

Airport An airport is an aerodrome with extended facilities, mostly for commercial air transport. Airports usually consists of a landing area, which comprises an aerially accessible open space including at least one operationally active surfa ...

'', playing the role of Libby Bakersfeld. She also appeared as Linda in ''

The War Between Men and Women ''The War Between Men and Women'' is a 1972 American comedy-drama film directed by Melville Shavelson and starring Jack Lemmon, Barbara Harris, and Jason Robards. The film is based on the writings of humorist James Thurber, and was released b ...

'', which starred

Jack Lemmon John Uhler Lemmon III (February 8, 1925 – June 27, 2001) was an American actor. Considered equally proficient in both dramatic and comic roles, Lemmon was known for his anxious, middle-class everyman screen persona in dramedy pictures, leadin ...

and Barbara Harris.

Filmography

Film

Television

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Gerritsen, Lisa 1957 births American child actresses American film actresses Living people 20th-century American actresses Actresses from Los Angeles American television actresses 21st-century American women